


The More Things Change

by Aoida_blue



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Age Swap, M/M, role reversals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 03:25:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5114219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoida_blue/pseuds/Aoida_blue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick Grayson was dead. Had been dead for years, and Jason had adjusted. Sure he had put down the Nightwing mantle but made his own sort of shitty peace with it, finally.</p><p>He could almost feel that peace shattering around him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The More Things Change

 

Jason couldn’t breathe.

 

Jason couldn’t move.

 

It wasn’t. It- 

 

“Dick-“ Jason cut himself off harshly and it was his wariness, and not his shock, which stopped him from stepping forward, reaching forward-

 

The impossible ghost leant against the chimney, open window sending the wind rustling through his hair. He was taller now, so much taller. He’d filled out under his dark brown jacket, the red bat blazoned on his chest warping forward. Jason’s eyes scoured him, looking from the top of his impossible head, to the strange red helmet tucked under his arm, to the dark edges of his impossible shoes. Then Jason’s eyes shot back to his face, to do the once-over again, because it couldn’t-

 

Jason’s heart pounded like a drum in his chest.

 

“Look pretty good for a dead guy huh?” _Dick_ – no it couldn’t be- smiled cockily at the inspection.

 

It wasn’t Dick. 

 

Dick didn’t smile like that, like it was edged in something harsh. He slid forward a couple of steps, all greased easy moves, toes pointing slightly in the distracted grace Dick had always had-

 

“You’re not-“ Jason bit out. 

 

Jason faltered back a step, falling instinctively into a defensive position, one so old Jason heel slipped and the small corrective jerk was enough to make the ghost frown, the red domino wrinkling on his face. 

 

Dick stopped, his head cocked.

 

“You’re not this sloppy usually.” He commented, like the small mistake was so telling.

 

It was.

 

But Jason was not going to let this… this… imposter know the whole story. What Dick Grayson’s death had done to him. 

 

“Oh I apologise.” Jason gritted out, hands curling by his sides, “I really do, had I known I was going to be facing a zombie, I would have practiced more.”

 

Dick laughed low and horribly fond. In an easy motion he reached up to tug at his domino, and really Jason had to think, thoughts skittering around him, who wore a _domino_ under a _helmet_. Dick tugged it off and then it was just- just Dick Grayson’s face looking at him. The features were all older, filled up, but-

 

Jason couldn’t deny it was Dick Grayson. Not staring into dark blue eyes, not even when he wore an expression that was so foreign to Jason’s memories.

 

Bile burned up Jason’s throat, but he swallowed it down ruthlessly. 

 

“The Nightwing I remember,” Dick said, tilting his head, hair flopping to the side, “Practiced every day regardless”.

 

Jason glanced down at the stripes on his hands, his fingers stretching and curling reflexively. Even now he could see the vivid blue stripes, and how dark they’d gotten when that clown freak’s-

 

“How are you alive?” Jason asked he directed it over Dick’s shoulder, a few precious inches from his face, his face that should have been younger and bloodier lolling against Bruce’s shoulder-

 

Dick laughed, mocking and rolling and he moved closer. Jason saw it, felt it like a threat. He straightened reflexively pulling up to his full height, noting vaguely that he was still taller, even after all these years. it was stupid thing to notice, really, given all the impossibilities that was Dick, and Jason felt sick insane laughter bubble briefly up, turning sour almost as fast as it had come.

 

“I’ve never particularly liked Talia, but I can’t deny she was the one to make this little reunion happen.” Dick’s face twisted into something harder, “I saw Bruce first – had a little chat with him.” 

 

Jason’s eyes shot back at Dick, meeting those narrowed eyes were a shock to the system. Because Bruce, Bruce had met Dick, knew he was alive-

 

All the messages Jason had been getting, all the unopened emails from Alfred, the phone messages Jason had deleted in habit- it had all been to tell him-

 

“I know what happened.” Dick said, and suddenly Dick’s face was gone of the mocking twisting edge, was just something serious, and Jason knew what he was going to say next-

 

“Don’t you dare thank me.” Jason hissed out, anger flaring hot and familiar, something he hadn’t embraced in such a long time. 

 

Dick looked at him, and it was testing, “Why do you think I would thank you.”

 

It jarred Jason, had him stepping forward for once, grabbing Dick’s new jacket and hauling him forward. 

 

“You were dead.” Jason hissed out, and the remembered truth burnt like acid, “He was alive, and I broke every cardinal rule trying to fix that. I burnt my bridges and at the end of it there was nothing left. You were _dead_.”

 

“And Bruce didn’t like that I guess.” Dick said, so cool, so calm, like this was all part of his plan, and the anger is Jason only grew higher, hotter. 

 

“You-“ Jason’s other hand clenched hard in the jacket as well, and he shook Dick, Dick let him, watching him with those- those eyes that- “I killed. I killed and there is no going back.” 

 

There was no going back, no going back to Bruce, no going back to the now empty family fold only Bruce and Alfred remaining. There was no going back to Gotham, hell Jason had hung up his Nightwing gear, hadn’t expected to go back to that. He had a orphanage he looked after, a halfway house, and that was everything he got- and even that was more than he deserved-

 

Jason felt the tears sting in his eyes, and he didn’t realise he was looking down until he felt Dick’s gloved hand press against his, drawing his attention up to the suddenly open expression on Dick’s face.

 

He smiled, full of vicious success. Everything else had been a test and Jason had passed. 

 

If this was Dick, Jason didn’t know him at all.

 

“There is no going back.” Dick said, and it was promise and something sharp and dangerous all it one, “There is only going forward.”

 

Jason didn’t want to go forward, not if it meant with Dick, but he didn’t push Dick away when he grabbed him close, didn’t jerk out of the embrace as Dick clung to him.

 


End file.
